San Diego, CA – SommCon® announces the addition of SommCon Washington, D.C., set to take place at the Westin Georgetown July 22-24, 2018, in a pop up networking experience and conference for the region’s leading beverage professionals. The new D.C. event joins the lineup of educational opportunities alongside its sister location in San Diego with dates slated for November 14-16.

“SommCon connects professionals on a regional level, making world-class education and networking accessible through Master Classes and tasting experiences that help to shape the futures of our industry’s best and brightest,” said Master Sommelier, David Glancy of the San Francisco Wine School and a member of the SommCon Board of Advisors.

SommCon’s education is built by some of today’s most influential palates for trade professionals and serious enthusiasts who have a passion for wine and spirits and an unyielding quest for knowledge. During SommCon, attendees learn and taste alongside industry leaders through educational seminars, tasting breaks and networking opportunities.

The conference launched in San Diego, CA, in 2015 and has become a leading program and community for beverage industry professionals.

“SommCon is an important way to connect and learn alongside some of the heavy hitters and exciting personalities in the business,” said Jesse Rodriguez, Advanced Sommelier at Montage Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina and member of the SommCon East Advisory Board. “We are excited to see SommCon ‘Pop Up’ in DC, connecting our community for three days of intense education and power networking!”

SommCon is currently seeking qualified speakers for the 2018 educational programs. Industry pros interested in joining this year’s talented roster of educators at SommCon may submit applications by January 19, 2018, to qualify. Selected presenters will be notified by email by January 30. For further information regarding requirements and how to apply, view the Speaker Application.

“On behalf of Kistler I have participated in SommCon since its inception. I have led seminars and panel discussions,” said Geoff Labitzke, Master of Wine and Director of Sales at Kistler Vineyards. “All of the sessions are filled with talented influencers with a professional diversity that creates an energy and buzz to the event. The content of the presentations blends wine knowledge and business acumen.”

SommCon Washington, D.C., takes place July 22-24, 2018, at Westin Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and SommCon San Diego is held November 14-16, 2018. Conference registration for the DC Pop Up will be available in early 2018. For more information, visit: SommConUSA.com.

ABOUT SOMMCON:® is a leading conference for sommelier-level education and training of wine professionals and serious enthusiasts. The conference brings together industry professionals of all levels to discuss, develop, and lead the conversation on the business of wine. SommCon’s education is built by sommeliers for trade professionals and serious enthusiasts who have a passion for wine and spirits and an unyielding quest for knowledge. Attendees learn and taste their way through educational classes and seminars complete with tasting breaks and networking opportunities. SommConis produced by Fast Forward, an event management agency specializing in productions for the wine, beer, spirits and hospitality industries, fastforwardevents.com.

Doffo Winery’s 2015 Zinfandel took first place in the competition, after taking second place to Wilson Creek’s Petite Sirah at last year’s inaugural event. The 2017 second place winner was Lorimar Winery’s 2014 Syrah, and third place was taken by Thornton Winery’s 2014 Estate Syrah.

“We are beyond thrilled with receiving 1st Place in the People’s Choice competition,” said Damian Doffo, CEO and Winemaker for Doffo Winery. “We work very hard in the vineyard to produce high quality fruit and make exceptional wine. We look forward to sharing with wine with the public in February.”

Over 200 guests tasted 29 wines (6 whites and 23 reds) without knowing any of the wines’ identities, and rated them on a scale of 1-5 during a walk-around wine tasting. The top 12-scoring wines from this portion of the event went on to be poured during a wine seminar led by Master of Wine Roger Bohmrich, where they were again tasted blind and rated on a scale of 1-5, including by Roger himself. Final scores were tallied to determine the top 3 “People’s Choice” wines. Wines could be any variety or a blend, at any price point, as long as they were from the Temecula Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA). Entries ranged from just $24 per bottle to well over $100, and represented a number of grape varieties, from Falanghina to Syrah to Cabernet Franc.

In addition to the walk-around tasting and seminar, the event featured a six-course dinner created by Chef Daragh Matheson from Leoness Cellars, paired with last year’s People’s Choice winners. A VIP reception offered hand-selected pours presented by local winemakers and winery owners. San Diego singer-songwriter Christian Taylor performed throughout the tasting. The evening’s dinner program was emceed by Lindsay Pomeroy, Master of Wine Candidate and owner of the “Wine Smarties” school in San Diego, and a brief keynote was delivered by Bohmrich. Local musician Brian Stodart performed throughout the dinner program.

Most wines can be purchased directly online through each winery’s website. The entire list of wines entered into the competition can be accessed HERE.

ABOUT THE TEMECULA VALLEY AND VISIT TEMECULA VALLEY

With natural gifts of climate and geography, Temecula Valley is widely recognized for its scenic vineyards, award-winning wines, and friendly wineries as Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country. The destination includes the Temecula Valley A.V.A. (American Viticulture Area) as well as Downtown, Old Town Temecula, and Pechanga Resort & Casino.

Visit Temecula Valley is online at VisitTemeculaValley.com; “Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country” on Facebook and @Visit_Temecula on Twitter. The Temecula Valley Visitors Center is located in Old Town Temecula on Mercedes Street adjacent the Old Town Parking Garage. For visitor assistance, call 888/363-2852 or 951/491-6085.

ABOUT THE TEMECULA VALLEY WINEGROWERS ASSOCIATION

Temecula Valley is the largest and most commercially successful winegrowing region in the South Coast AVA, the viticultural zone spanning more than 2 million acres from Riverside County to the San Diego border. The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association has long served as a steward of the Southern California wine community. Comprising 36 wineries and more than 60 winegrowers, the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association is a nonprofit regional organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the quality wines and wine grapes grown in the Temecula Valley and South Coast Appellations. Established in 1984, the Temecula AVA consists of 33,000 acres, of which approximately 2,500 acres are currently planted to commercial vineyards. Known as Southern California’s wine country, the Temecula Valley is located in Riverside County just one hour from San Diego, Orange County and Palm Springs and 90 minutes from Los Angeles.

Napa, California – Robert Parker Wine Advocate and RobertParker.com, the world’s most widely read independent consumers’ guide to fine wine, announces the appointment of William Kelley, who will join the reviewer team on January 1, covering the regions of Burgundy, Chablis, Beaujolais, California Central Coast and Washington State.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Castiglione Falletto, as photographed by our own Monica Larner.

During his time at Oxford University, studying history at St. John’s College, Kelley served for four years as the president of the Oxford University Wine Circle, the world’s oldest tasting group of its kind. In addition to tastings with the Old World’s greatest producers, he brought many of California’s most celebrated and exciting wineries to Oxford for the first time. Kelley cut his teeth as a taster on many of the great wines of Burgundy of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, providing him with a grounding in the classics. Having worked harvests in California and Burgundy, Kelley noted, “I feel my first-hand experiences further inform my writing and criticism with a deeper understanding of viticulture and winemaking.” A former correspondent for the wines of Burgundy for the UK’s Decanter magazine and a contributor for The Robb Report and Noble Rot, William was short-listed for the Louis Roederer Emerging Wine Writer of the Year Award. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be assuming this position as a critic for the world’s foremost fine wine guide,” commented Kelley. “To stand alongside the world’s greatest wine critics, led by Robert Parker, is truly an honor and a milestone for me.”

Robert Parker Wine Advocate is equally excited to announce that the coverage of Bordeaux for The Wine Advocate will be assumed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW. A Master of Wine with more than 25 years’ experience working in the UK, Japan, Singapore and USA wine industries, Perrotti-Brown brings incredible experience, knowledge and expertise to The Wine Advocate’s reviews of the wines of Bordeaux. “Both as a longstanding lover of the wines of Bordeaux and as a professional who spent the first half of my career devoted to professionally selling, marketing and purchasing Bordeaux wines, taking on the coverage of this incredible region is without doubt the most exciting moment of my wine journey.”

Robert Parker Wine Advocate’s Editor-in-Chief Perrotti-Brown went on to comment, “In 2018, Robert Parker Wine Advocate will be dedicating even more energy and resources to increasing our coverage of wines from throughout the world. Not only will we be producing more tasting notes and articles than ever before, we will be producing them with even greater frequency and timeliness.”

Robert Parker Wine Advocate is currently the most comprehensive wine review publication in the world, with more than 350,000 tasting notes in its database, housed by their seminal wine reviews website, RobertParker.com. “We are in discussions now with hand-selected wine experts from across the globe to add to our current team of nine reviewers next year, expanding upon what is already the largest team of full-time reviewers of any of the major wine criticism publications,” said Perrotti-Brown. Currently producing over 30,000 reviews per year, Robert Parker’s reviewer team aims to produce more than 50,000 reviews per year by 2020. News about the other new reviewers to join the Robert Parker Wine Advocate team will be released in early 2018.

“As our coverage and reviewer team expand, it is increasingly our duty to our readers to make certain that we offer consistent ratings across the many voices and perspectives offered by our team of experts,” Perrotti-Brown added. “With the appointment of Joe Czerwinski as our Managing Editor earlier this year, together we will be implementing a rigorous editorial oversight system to ensure scoring consistency across our team.”

While remaining the foremost “Independent Consumer’s Guide to Fine Wine” is the core of Robert Parker Wine Advocate, the publication and team of experts will also look to step up wine consumer engagement by staging more wine events in the year to come. Highlights in the first quarter of 2018 will include iconic Burgundy dinners in Hong Kong and Rio di Janeiro, featuring rare gems such as Domaines Coche-Dury, Dujac, Raveneau and Ramonet, and another blockbuster two-day event in Zurich. Full details will soon be available on the Matter of Taste website, www.a-matter-of-taste.com.

About Robert Parker Wine Advocate

For more than 39 years, The Wine Advocate, and later RobertParker.com, have been the global leader and independent consumer’s guide to fine wine. The brand was established by the internationally recognized Robert M. Parker, Jr., the only critic in any field to receive the highest Presidential honor from three countries – France, Italy and Spain. Robert Parker Wine Advocate provides a wealth of information to its subscribers, including a searchable database of more than 300,000 professional wine ratings and reviews, in addition to articles, videos, daily news content, online retail availability and pricing, an active, professionally moderated bulletin board, a mobile app for easy access to the comprehensive online database of reviews, and much more. For more information, visit www.RobertParker.com.

(Beirut, Lebanon) – Lebanese Wine Day announces its upcoming winemaker tour in San Francisco and Los Angeles next month, bringing 30 different producers to California to showcase their wines to members of the wine trade. Conceived in one of the oldest sites in the world for wine production, wines from Lebanon have been sought-after for centuries by kings and commoners alike. And the country’s rich heritage of indigenous grapes has attracted renewed attention, particularly in recent years.

The first Lebanese Wine Day will take place in San Francisco on the afternoon of November 16 at the historic Merchants Exchange Club, a recently renovated event space located in the Financial District. The day will begin with a master class from 12:00-1:30 p.m. for registered guests, presented by Jean Reilly, Master of Wine and renowned wine speaker. A walk-around wine tasting will be running concurrently from 12 – 5 p.m., where guests will have the opportunity to taste the wines and meet face to face with winemakers and representatives from the Lebanese government. A second master class, also for registered guests, will be held from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Following Lebanese Wine Day in San Francisco, the producers will head to Los Angeles, where they will offer their wines for walk around tasting on Monday, November 20 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“We are very excited about our trip to California, and to be sharing our wines with members of the wine trade,” says Mr. Louis Lahoud, Director General of the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture. “These tastings will be a great way for us to raise awareness about Lebanese wines and demonstrate that they have a unique place in the U.S. market.”

The winemakers and producers look forward to acquainting the American market with the wines of Lebanon. Heavily influenced by the French, the most widely planted varietals include Cinsault, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Mourvedre and Syrah. In recent years wines from this Mediterranean country have garnered numerous accolades and recognition from the press as being from an “emerging area.” The unusual climatic conditions of the Bekaa – hot and arid, but with cool nights and the suitable climate of the other regions – result in long-lasting wines that include both aromatic whites and strong-bodied reds.

Sponsored by the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, Lebanese Wine Day is open to qualified wine trade (retail, restaurant, wholesale) and media only.

BWW – the Best Wine of the World Competition, true to its name, selects the Best Wines in the World. It is the largest wine competition in the world, whether measured by the number of wines, the number of consumers involved or the judges taking part.

The competition differs significantly from other wine competitions in that the wines are selected by consumers all around the world and many thousands wine during a three-month period of voting, which takes place on Tastingbook.com and via social media, such as Facebook and Instagram.

The public votes and points awarded by wine professionals are tallied, and the twenty wines with the most votes from each competition category enter the finals that will be held in the fall. In the finals, the wines undergo a blind evaluation by panels consisting of leading wine makers, wine writers, Masters of Wine and wine professionals.

The finals are held on three different continents – Europe, Australia and the United States – so that each region evaluates the wines from that region and its nearby areas.

Public voting commences on July 31, 2017 and concludes on October 30, 2017. Judging of the finalists will follow and BWW will announce the Best Wine in the World and the winners of the different categories at the inaugural BWW Awards Gala, to be held in the United States on January 25, 2018.

Hamilton, Bermuda – MARTINI® Prosecco Vintage 2016 has achieved a top score of 95+ points at The Drinks Business Prosecco Masters 2017, beating strong competition from some of the world’s best loved Prosecco brands including Bisol, Bottega, Follador and Andreola.

The judging panel, comprising five Masters of Wine, also presented MARTINI Prosecco Vintage with one of six Master Medals, a testament to the exceptional quality of the wine.

MARTINI is the world’s best selling Italian sparkling wine brand and is driving growth worldwide through innovation. This multi-award winning wine was crafted by MARTINI’s Master Winemaker of the past 30 years, Franco Brezza. Made from 100% Glera grapes from the 2016 harvest, MARTINI Prosecco Vintage is pale gold in color with hints of emerald green and delicate bubbles. It offers delicate floral notes and fresh green apple and lime undertones.

Shane Hoyne, CMO Europe & North America, comments: “Premium Italian sparkling wine is experiencing tremendous growth, fuelled by consumers’ love of its light, refreshing style. Prosecco is the fastest growing category in the global sparkling wine industry, and we have created this exquisite tasting and beautifully packaged product to lead that growth and to knock on Champagne’s door with a strong quality statement”.

Franco Brezza, Master Winemaker says: “We have used all expertise and know-how to create a sparkling wine that offers a true alternative to champagne. The harmonic but delicate flavors make this the perfect style to enjoy as an aperitif.”

The full results of The Drinks Business Prosecco Masters will be announced in the May issue of The Drinks Business, which will be distributed at the London Wine Fair at London’s Olympia from 22nd – 26th May.

About The Drinks Business Prosecco Awards
The Drinks Business Prosecco Awards is now in its fourth year and judged 135 Proseccos. This year’s international panel of experts included Alex Canneti, Anthony Foster MW, Jonathan Pedly MW, Roberto Della Pietra, Patrick Schmitt MW, Patricia Stefanowicz MW and Nick Tatham MW.

About MARTINI
One of the most iconic brands in the world, MARTINI® is the leading name in Italian winemaking and a purveyor of the highest quality aromatized and sparkling wines. The award-winning, vibrant and bittersweet taste of the MARTINI range is the result of secret blends of more than 40 botanicals sourced from the finest locations across the globe. The MARTINI portfolio includes: MARTINI Bianco, MARTINI Rosato, MARTINI Rosso, MARTINI Extra Dry, MARTINI Asti, MARTINI Moscato d’Asti, MARTINI Prosecco, MARTINI Rosé, MARTINI Brut and MARTINI Royale. Created in 1863 in Turin, Italy, the MARTINI brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, and continues to be the market leader of the category. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

Enjoy Martini Prosecco Responsibly

MARTINI and the ball and bar logo are trademarks. For more information, please visit www.martini.com

First time’s a charm for Seed Wine, which brought home a Malbec gold medal in the prestigious 2016 Global Masters wine competition in London on November 21, 2016. Hosted by the Drinks Business, the Global Masters is a rigorous series of blind tasting competitions, attracting entries from every corner of the wine-making world.

The tasting notes for Seed’s 2014 Malbec include luscious steeped blackberries, marionberries, and dusky Italian plums. The fruits lie well beneath lighter, more enigmatic aromas of violets, dust, and dark chocolate shavings. Seed’s 2014 Malbec vintage is the inaugural release for the boutique wine label, and its owners are delighted with the results.

“The Global Masters has reputation for being the toughest panel in any blind tasting series, so this really is an outstanding result for us,” CEO Tony Hartl said. “Our 2014 Malbec is completely sold out, but don’t fret, we have just released our 2015 vintage, which is fully expected to surpass the 2014s in elegance and age-worthiness.”

Malbecs from around the world were included in the competition, and a 6-person panel of highly qualified Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers judged each entry. Winners are awarded medals bronze through gold, with “Master” reserved for the best of the best. With its 2015 Malbec vintage now available, Seed Wine has its sights set on even greater accomplishments in the future. You can learn more about the 2015 vintage here.

Beautifully delineated, the 2015 Seed Malbec is a small lot single-vineyard wine that is aged for 16 months in new French oak and has a long life ahead of it. At this stage in its development, the nose is quite primary and is heavily laden in fresh blackberries, plums, and macerated strawberries rendered more complex by attractive notes of sweet tobacco, bitter chocolate, and violets.

About Seed Wine: Launched after a serendipitous sojourn to South America, Seed Wine is the brainchild of Dallas entrepreneurs Tony Hartl and Alex Chang. The boutique Malbec is harvested with the world’s best winemaking techniques: hand-picked grapes, ancient canal irrigation, and 43-year-old vines.

Together with business partners Thomas DelMundo and winemaker Giuseppe Franceschini, Tony and Alex have the audacious goal of making the best Malbec in the world. But they aren’t stopping there. Every time a bottle of Seed Wine is purchased, a child in Mendoza receives a new schoolbook. It’s the tangible way that Tony, Alex, Tom and Giuseppe are planting seeds for the future in Argentina.

Verona, Italy – The VIA Certification Course, conducted by Ian D’Agata, Scientific Director of VIA, represents a one and only opportunity for wine professionals to gain extensive knowledge on the vast subject of Italian grape varieties and wines. Currently, no International certification program offers this kind of comprehensive study of Italian wines. Understandably so, as the wines made from native grapes remain largely obscure, often within the growing region itself. Even for the Master of Wine or the Master Sommelier, Italy, despite ranking as the world’s largest wine producing country, remains somewhat of an enigma and an untapped resource for the discovery of intriguing new wines.

Candidate, Natasha Hughes MW, from the UK, explains, “Italy remains a gap in my knowledge and I relish the opportunity to understand the diversity of wines made in this country, both in terms of theory and tasting.” In a market that is rapidly shifting toward millennial wine consumers, current international knowledge of Italian wines is, in fact, largely relegated to the most prestigious and largest wine growing areas, giving an unbalanced view of Italian wines today. In a recent 2014 Wine Market Council High Frequency Wine Drinker Survey, American millennials show interest in novelty, delve into the wine stories, and look for authenticity in the glass. They are more inclined to drink imported wines and enjoy experimenting with wines served by the glass.

An affirmation of the strategic interest in Italian wines can be seen in the calibre of candidates selected for the 2017 edition, and the influential roles they occupy in international markets: Natasha Hughes MW (UK), Levi Dalton (USA), Deborah Parker Wong DWSET (USA), Robin Kick MW (Switzerland), Nicholas Paris MW (USA), Laura DePasquale MS (USA), Kathy Morgan MS (USA). See full bios at http://www.vinitalyinternational.com/vinitaly-international-academy/candidates

Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) is an educational initiative aimed at simplifying the vast diversity of Italian grape varietals by explaining, divulging and broadcasting the characteristics of Italian wine around the world. VIA was first launched back in February 2014 by Stevie Kim (Managing Director of Vinitaly International) and Doctor Ian D’Agata (Scientific Director of VIA). Today, VIA already counts on the support of 4 Italian Wine Experts and 55 Italian Wine Ambassadors from around the world and is looking to further expand its community.

Until the December 16th deadline, Vinitaly International Academy will continue to recruit and select the 50 candidates who will have the opportunity to become the next VIA Italian Wine Ambassadors and Experts during the third edition of the VIA Certification Course to be held in Verona from the 3rd to the 7th of April 2017. The dates allow students to also attend the 6th edition of OperaWine (8th of April 2017) and the 51st edition of Vinitaly (9th–12th April 2017).

The annual wine and food festival showcases San Diego’s vibrant culinary community through cooking classes, chef dinners, and multiple tasting events. Brand NEW events, excursions, and experiences featured at this year’s food and wine festival include:

Mercy of The Chef – A selection of the country’s most talented chefs jet to America’s Finest City to partner with beloved San Diego chefs on an opening night dinner series that hits locales across the region and in Baja. In the hands of the chef, anything goes at this epic opening night. Locations Vary | Monday, November 14 | Prices vary Celebrate opening night at

Deckman’s En El Mogor in the Valle de Guadalupe with Executive Chef Drew Deckman and Renee Erickson of Seattle, Washington’s The Whale Wins, Boat Street Café, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Barnacle and author of A Boat, A Whale & A Walrus

Galaxy Taco in La Jolla with Chef de Cuisine Christine Rivera and Chef Steve Santana from Taquiza in Miami, Florida

Campfire in Carlsbad with Executive Chef Andrew Bachelier and Chef Jason French from Ned Ludd in Portland, Oregon

Marcus Samuelsson Hosts: In The Spirit | Whisk(e)y – From Bourbon to Scotch, Tennessee Whiskey to Japanese Whisky, Irish Whiskey and Rye, taste through a variety of styles and brands that represent a broad spectrum of today’s marketplace. Luce Loft | Wednesday, November 16 | $75 per person

Safe Harbor | Sustainable Seafood: Myths, Truths & Misinformation – Featuring nationally prominent chefs, local fishermen, academics and activists, this live panel discussion is free to attend and takes a multi-disciplinary look at the impact seafood choices have on the wellbeing of the oceans. Presented by the Berry Good Foundation as part of their Future Thought Leaders series, the panel features Chef Rick Moonen as well as complimentary food and drink from Chef Isabel Cruz who will highlight local farms and fishmongers. Location TBD | Wednesday, November 16 | Complimentary

Pizzapalooza Featuring Battle of the Bartenders – Fromdeep dish, New York, Neapolitan, Sicilian, grilled, Detroit, etc., people are passionate about their pizza. Take in multiple tasting stations from San Diego’s top pizza makers, hit up incredible mixology and craft cocktail stations, and vote during the Battle of the Bartender competition. Pizzapalooza also features the Gelato World Tour. Location TBD | Sunday, November 20 | $55 per person

Fish Taco TKO Hosted by Rick Moonen – The Fish Taco TKO is back for its fifth annual competition to settle the score on who is making the best fish taco. At this year’s taco showdown, the city’s best fish taco makers are dished an extra challenge; their taco must use sustainable fish. Fish Taco TKO features unique beer and tequila stations and two prize categories – People and Critics’ Choice. Quartyard Urban Park | Tuesday, November 15 | $50 per person

Ocean-To-Table Luncheon – Highly regarded as one of the most breathtaking vistas in San Diego, The Marine Room and its celebrated chef Bernard Guillas and special guest Rick Moonen host a five-course, wine paired lunch with chefs known for their respect, creativity and passion for the fruits de mer. The luncheon is a who’s who of local chefs and includes: Rob Ruiz, Dean James Max, Amy DiBiase, Jason McLeod, Andrew Spurgin, Evan Cruz and Ron Oliver. The Marine Room | Wednesday, November 16 | $95 per person

SommCon®: The San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival® partners again with SommCon®, a leading conference and exposition for wine, beer and spirit industry professionals and serious enthusiasts. SommCon® features over 40 educational sessions led by Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and an all star collection of the industry’s finest pros. Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina | Wednesday, November 16 – Saturday, November 19 | Prices vary per person

Expedition: Baja: Hosted by Fernando Gaxiola of Baja Wine + Food, spend the day across the border, discovering the wineries, chefs, and restaurants that make gastronomy from Baja one of the most talked about culinary destinations on the planet. Featuring Chef Diego Hernandez of Corazon De Tierra. Baja, Mexico | Wednesday, November 16 | $325 per person

Lexus Grand Tasting Featuring the NEW Culinary Theater and VIP Experience: As returning platinum sponsor of the largest wine and food festival in Southern California, the San Diego County Lexus Dealers will take center stage with the Lexus Grand Tasting on the scenic San Diego Bay, featuring over 700 wines, 60 of San Diego’s top chefs, and over 30 gourmet food companies. The VIP Tent has never tasted so good as celebrity chefs Cosmo Gross and Erling Wu-Bower team up with local superstar Jason McLeod, Giselle Wellman, and Tim Kolanko to host this year’s NEW VIP Tent experience. Also NEW this year, join today’s hottest chefs for demonstrations at the Culinary Theater, including: the Hearty Boys, Javier Plascencia, Cosmo Gross, Erling Wu-Bower, and Rick Bayless.San Diego County Lexus Dealers consists of four dealerships providing word-class service to all of San Diego County, including Lexus El Cajon, Lexus Carlsbad, Lexus Escondido and Lexus San Diego. Embarcadero Marina Park North | Saturday, November 19 | $135 General Admission, $175 Early Entry | $225 VIP

The San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival® offers several ways for epicurean enthusiasts to indulge in the most decadent culinary experience of the year, including all-inclusive ticket packages that offer overall savings, and feature hotel accommodations as well as admission to a selection of the food and wine festival’s premier events. Discounted accommodations are available at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. Hotel reservations and ticket packages can be reserved by calling, 877.385.9595.

To preview the schedule of events and featured celebrities, visit the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival® online at www.sandiegowineclassic.com. Events, personalities, and participating wineries and restaurants are updated daily.

SAN DIEGO BAY WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL®

The 13th Annual San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival® is an international showcase of the world’s premier wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities, and gourmet foods. Held November 14-20, 2016 the event benefits culinary arts and enology scholarships awarded by Fast Forward Futures and the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Over 200 wineries, breweries, and spirit companies and 60 of San Diego’s top fine-dining restaurants will participate in the 2016 Festival. For more information visit www.sandiegowineclassic.com. Produced by World of Wine Events and Fast Forward. For more information call 619-312-1212.

SommCon® Returns To San Diego Featuring Over 40 Educational Seminars, Certification Opportunities, Tasting Events and More This November 16-19, 2016

San Diego, CA – This fall, SommCon® returns to San Diego bringing together professionals of all levels to discuss, develop and lead the conversation on the business of wine. Held November 16-19, 2016 at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, SommCon’s® education is built by some of today’s most influential palates for trade professionals and serious enthusiasts who have a passion for wine and spirits and an unyielding quest for knowledge.

Boasting over 40 sessions, attendees learn and taste alongside the industry’s best and brightest through keynote sessions and educational classes complete with networking opportunities, a trade-only tasting and expo.

The conference begins on Wednesday, November 16 with professional certification opportunities including the WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Level 1 Award in Wine offered by the Neptune School of Wine, as well as Certified Cicerone®, the second level of certification through the Cicerone Certification Program.

The main conference is held Thursday, November 17 and Friday, November 18, and includes in-depth sessions led by industry thought leaders, round-table discussions, regional explorations, and The Trade Tasting at SommCon®, featuring over 100 wineries, breweries, spirit purveyors, and service industry brands. SommCon® concludes on Saturday, November 19 at the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival’s Lexus Grand Tasting – Southern California’s most exciting weeklong epicurean experience.

Young professionals under the age of 30 who have a passion for entering a profession in the wine industry or expanding their knowledge can apply to receive free conference registration through the Young Leader’s Summit Scholarship. Applications are due by September 15, 2016 and can be found here.

Over 40 sessions will be offered at this year’s conference, including:

The Nightmare Scenario, Dealing With a Difficult Guest – Through specific technics, humor and a sense of resolution, join a panel of experienced professionals as they navigate between some of the ways they have dealt with the nightmare scenario. Presenter: Eric Entrikin, Master Sommelier, Instructor and Examiner, Court of Master Sommeliers (Thursday, November 17 and Friday, November 18)

Digging Into Unique Terroir Presented by The SOMM Journal – This panel features representatives from unique appellations in Navarro, Spain; Alto Adige, Italy; The Veneto, Italy and Portugal. Taste two wines that best tell the story of each distinct terroir. Presenter: Eric Hemer, Master Sommelier, Master of Wine, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (Thursday, November 17)

Hungarian Furmint: Ancient Grape, Modern Wines – Previously known for its sweet Aszú wines, the Tokaj region is now introducing dry Furmint wines to the US Market. Discover Hungary’s flagship grape variety and the versatility of the Furmint grape’s range of styles and expressions. Presenter: Tim Gaiser, Master Sommelier, Wine Educator (Thursday, November 17)

Blind Taste With The Masters – Join world-renowned Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and San Diego’s brightest somms as they battle it out in the ultimate blind tasting challenge through an exciting tasting experience of six wines. Panelists: Vary each day (Thursday, November 17 and Friday, November 18)

History of Craft Beer: Ancient To The Present – Learn how beer influenced the start of human civilization, gave power to religion, and was at the forefront of the industrial revolution. Discuss beer post prohibition and the rise of craft beer, and hear from the experts on what the future holds. Moderator: Maurice DiMarino, Level Two Masters Guild of Sommeliers, Wine Director, Island Prime. Presenters: George Thornton, Co-Founder, Home Brewing Co.; Greg Koch, CEO and Co-Founder, Stone Brewing; Mark Weslar, Vice President of Marketing, Karl Strauss Brewing Company; Jennifer Glanville, Brewer and Director of Brewery Programs, Samuel Adams, and Brandon Hernandez, Societie Brewery (Thursday, November 17)

The Role of Viticulture in the Evolution of Napa Valley Wines – There has been much said about the roles of critics and winemakers in the changes in Napa Valley Wines over the last four decades. As truly great wines reflect the origins of the vineyard, the evolution of Napa Valley winemaking can also be understood by examining changes in vineyard practices. Explore Napa Valley wines through the lens of viticulture with an engaging panel and tasting Presenter: Jon Ruel, Chief Executive Officer, Trefethen Family Vineyards (Thursday, November 17)

Alsace Rocks: Exploring The Region’s Grand Crus – This session explores Alsace’s varied and unique terroir and its impact on the region’s famous expressive wines. With 13 distinct soil types in Alsace, the region has the most varied terroir in all of France. Presenter: Josh Nadal, Beverage Director, NoHo Hospitality Group (Friday, November 17)

SommCon® is only open to 300 registrants, and for those in attendance, there are several ways to participate, with conference packages and single day passes available.

SommCon® takes place November 16-19, 2016 at Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina in San Diego, California. For more information or to purchase conference registration, visit: SommConUSA.com and follow SommCon®on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Discounted accommodations are available at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina for SommCon attendees, make reservations here.

ABOUT SOMMCON®: SommCon® is a leading conference and exposition for education and training of beverage professionals and serious enthusiasts. Held November 16 – 19, 2016, in San Diego, CA, the four-day conference brings together industry professionals of all levels to discuss, develop, and lead the conversation on the business of wine. SommCon’s ® education is built by industry thought leaders for trade professionals and serious enthusiasts who have a passion for wine and spirits and an unyielding quest for knowledge. Attendees learn and taste their way through keynote sessions and educational classes, complete with a trade-only tasting and expo. SommCon® is produced by Fast Forward Event Productions, an event management agency specializing in productions for the wine, beer and spirits industry, fastforwardevents.com